Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability, Volume III

This Research Topic is part of the article collection series - Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability, Volume II and Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability.Research on crop water requirements is fundamental to precision irrigation and agricultural water conservation. Various water-saving practices, including deficit irrigation with optimized water allocation, diverse irrigation methods (sprinkler, drip, and micro-sprinkler irrigation), and biological water-saving technologies, significantly shape crop water demand patterns and field-level water use efficiency. Notably, the effectiveness of these technologies exhibits spatial variability; for instance, water use efficiency at the field scale may exceed that at the irrigation district scale, where management intensity varies, highlighting the need to evaluate water-saving performance from multiple spatial perspectives. Understanding and adapting advanced water management techniques enables farmers to optimize on-farm water use, thereby promoting more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems.Three equally critical pillars underpin the advancement of this field:1. Water-saving technology optimization: investigating how different irrigation, fertigation, and biological water-saving strategies affect crop water demand, water physiology, and overall water use efficiency, with the goal of enhancing crop tolerance to water stress and improving agricultural water productivity.2. Discovery of crop physiological and water-use mechanisms: deciphering the physiological responses of crops to water deficits and varied water-supply regimes, including changes in stomatal regulation, root-shoot signaling, hydraulic conductance, and source-sink dynamics, which collectively determine plant adaptation and yield stability under limited water availability.3. High-throughput phenotyping and remote sensing support: leveraging UAV, airborne, and satellite remote sensing technologies to enable multi-scale, quantitative characterization of crop phenotypic traits across spatial and temporal dimensions. This provides critical data for monitoring crop growth dynamics, environmental responses, and the efficacy of management interventions, thereby offering actionable insights to bridge the gap between physiological understanding and field-scale decision-making.The integration of these three dimensions, water-saving technologies, physiological mechanism discovery, and phenotyping-enabled support, is essential for advancing precision irrigation science and achieving sustainable agricultural water management. We invite contributions that address one or more of these pillars, with particular interest in studies that establish cross-cutting linkages among technology application, physiological understanding, and multi-scale phenotyping approaches.Authors are welcome to submit related to, but not limited to, the following topics:- Response mechanisms of crops to novel water and fertilizer management technologies- Physiological responses of crops to water productivity under deficit irrigation- Variability and precise control of crop water efficient utilization at large scale- Impact of coupled water and fertilizer management on soil-crop interactions- Impact of changing weather patterns on crop water and nutrient requirements- Implementation of smart farming technologies in water and fertilizer application- Water use efficiency and irrigation practices- Models for managing water and fertilizer- Remote sensing phenotyping for crop physiological traits and precision agricultural management----------------We welcome contributions from researchers across the field, and we are glad to support you as you prepare your submission. If you would like early feedback on whether your planned manuscript fits the scope of this Research Topic, please write to us at plantscience@frontiersin.org before submitting. A quick check at this stage helps confirm your work is a strong fit and can save you time later in the process.To take part, click “Participate in this topic” at the top right of this page, then confirm through the “Participate” link in the follow-up email. This lets us know to expect your contribution, keeps you informed of key deadlines, and gives you access to resources that guide you through submission. We look forward to your participation and to building a vibrant, cohesive Research Topic together.” Topic editors: Qi Wu, Hanmi Zhou, Emmanuel Arthur, Yidi Sun Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84680/enhancing-agricultural-water-management-techniques-for-improving-crop-water-efficiency-and-sustainability-volume-iii